 | |
| Network | NBC(programmed byDiscovery Kids) |
|---|---|
| Launched | October 5, 2002 (2002-10-05) |
| Closed | September 2, 2006 (2006-09-02) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Format | Saturday morning children's program block |
| Running time | 3 hours |
Discovery Kids on NBC was an Americanchildren'sprogramming block that aired onNBC from October 5, 2002[1] to September 2, 2006, replacingTNBC. The block was produced under a time-lease agreement withDiscovery Kids, and featured a mixture of live-action and animated series originated on the cable network that meteducational programming requirements defined by theFederal Communications Commission.[2] The programming block was replaced byQubo as part of a partnership withION Media,Scholastic, Classic Media (now calledDreamWorks Classics) andCorus Entertainment.
In December 2001, NBC reached a partnership withDiscovery Communications, in which its cable channelDiscovery Kids would produce a new three-hour Saturday morning block for the network that would feature programming that met the educational programming guidelines enforced by theChildren's Television Act. The block would replaceTNBC, a block of live-action series aimed at a teenage audience whose creation was motivated by the success of its seriesSaved by the Bell.[3][4] By 2001, TNBC had been undergoing from declining viewership; according toNielsen Media Research, the block was registering a median viewer age of 41.[5]
Discovery Kids on NBC premiered on October 5, 2002,[1] with its original lineup incorporating three new original series (theSurvivor-stylereality competition seriesEndurance, and the scripted seriesScout's Safari andStrange Days at Blake Holsey High) and one existing Discovery Kids program (Operation Junkyard); the following year,Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls, a child-oriented spin-off of theTLC home renovation reality showTrading Spaces joined the lineup.[6]
The new block came about amidst growing children's programming synergies between broadcast and cable television networks. Prior to the Discovery agreement,CBS had launched aNickelodeon-branded block in 2000 (following Nickelodeon parentViacom's merger with CBS), whileThe WB had begun combining programs from sister channelCartoon Network onto itsKids' WB lineup as part of a growing cross-promotion arrangement between the cable channel and the block; in addition, one month beforeDiscovery Kids on NBC premiered,ABC relaunched its Saturday morning block asABC Kids, expanding upon a programming agreement established in 2001 with sister networkDisney Channel that later included select programming from bothToon Disney and (in 2004) its own action-oriented blockJetix.[4][7]
On November 1, 2003, the block introduced educationally-oriented animated programs under the banner "Real Toons" – with two series,Kenny the Shark andTutenstein;[8][9] this marked the first time that NBC had aired animation as part of its children's programming lineup since August 1992.
In March 2006, Discovery declined to renew its contract with NBC for its Saturday morning block, citing a desire to focus its children's programming efforts exclusively on the Discovery Kids cable channel;[10] in May of that year, NBC andIon Media Networks unveiled a joint venture with Canada-basedCorus Entertainment,Scholastic andClassic Media known asQubo, which would aim to provide educational programming aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 8. The Qubo endeavor included a three-hour Saturday morning block on the network, which replacedDiscovery Kids on NBC on September 9, 2006.[11][12]
Although theDiscovery Kids on NBC block regularly aired on Saturday mornings, affiliates in some parts of the country deferred certain programs within the lineup to Sunday morning timeslots to accommodate locally produced programs (such as weekend morning newscasts) or due to scheduling issues with regional ornetwork sports broadcasts that start in time periods normally occupied by the block.
| Title | Premiere date | End date | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prehistoric Planet | October 5, 2002 | May 10, 2003 | [3] |
| Croc Files | July 2, 2005 | [3] | |
| Operation Junkyard | May 10, 2003 | [3] | |
| Endurance | September 2, 2006 | [3] | |
| Scout's Safari | September 24, 2005 | [3] | |
| Strange Days at Blake Holsey High | September 24, 2005 | [3] | |
| Adventure Camp | May 17, 2003 | October 25, 2003 | |
| Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls | September 2, 2006 | ||
| Jeff Corwin Unleashed | September 13, 2003 | September 24, 2005 | |
| Kenny the Shark | November 1, 2003 | September 2, 2006 | [8] |
| Tutenstein | November 19, 2005 | [8] | |
| Skunked TV | July 10, 2004 | September 25, 2004 | |
| Darcy's Wild Life | October 2, 2004 | September 2, 2006 | |
| Time Warp Trio | July 9, 2005 | ||
| Flight 29 Down | October 1, 2005 |